Handtrucks



May 22, 1962 F. R. TURNER 3,035,727

HANDTRUCKS Filed Jan. 4, 1960 le l I I r4 I7- r y I7 32N l I9 |22 I 2|- I 33 2e. w 29 2B I R ,1 241 le JNVEN TOR.

F RED R. TURNER ATTORNEYS ng-v- United States Patent dice 3,035,727 Patented May 22, 1962 3,035,727 HANDTRUCKS Fred R. Turner, 1009 Porto Marino, San Carlos, Calif. Filed Jan. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 244 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-370) 'Ihe present invention relates to improvements in a handtruck, and more particularly to handtrucks having auxiliary lifting devices.

Heavy objects, such as refrigerators and other home appliances, are often moved from place to place on handtrucks. Positioning of the appliance on the handtruck is usually very diilicult because of the weight of the appliance. Normally, the legs of the appliance rest upon a forwardly projecting lift or shelf at the lower edge of the handtruck.

To place the legs in such a position, it has been necessary heretofore for the operator to push against the appliance and tilt it sufficiently for the legs on the near side to clear the door. The appliance must be held in such position until the supporting lift of the handtruck is slid thereunder. This usually requires the cooperation of a second person.

The present invention contemplates a handtruck having a device which is operable to first tilt the appliance and -then to hold it in such position while the supporting lift of the handtruck is positioned beneath the legs of the appliance. This device is mounted on the handtruck in a novel manner permitting it to be controlled and operated entirely by the feet of the operator, thus freeing his hands for other purposes.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a handtruck attachment adapted to engage and tilt an appliance and yto hold it in such position while the supporting lift of the handtiuck is positioned under the legs of the a pliance.

Another object of my in ntion is the provision of a lifting device of the character described which is mounted on the handtruck in a manner permitting relative movement between the handtruck and lifting device, so that the handtruck may be positioned while the lifting device is supporting the weight of the appliance.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a handtruclt of the character described in which the lifting device may be automatically positioned and operated by the foot of the handtruck operator.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a handtruck of the character set forth in which the lifting device is designed to fold out of the way within the confines of the handtruck frame when not in use.

Additionally, it is proposed to provide an attachment of the character described which is simple, sturdy and requires little modication of the handtruck.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as the specification proceeds, and the new and useful features of the same will be fully defined in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of Vthis application, in which:

FIGURE l shows a front elevational view of a handtruck constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the plane of line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2, but showing the lifting device in a different position;

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to that of FIGURE 3, but illustrating the lifting device being used to tilt an appliance; v

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 4, but

showing the supporting lip of the handtruck pushed under the legs of the appliance; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a hinge forming part of the lifting device.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my handtruck includes a wheeled frame 11 having an object-supporting element 12 projecting from its lower end, and lever means 13 supported on the frame for engaging and lifting an object 14 to be transported, the lever 'means having a connection to the frame providing for relative movement therebetween whereby the object-supporting element 12 may be inserted under the legs 16 of an appliance 14 while the appliance is being lifted by the lever means 13.

The handtruck proper is of conventional construction, and includes vertical members 17 joined by cross-members 18 to dene a generally rectangular frame. An axle 19 is supported by plates 21 at the lower end of the frame and has wheels 22 journalled thereon.

The lever means 13 includes a fulcrum portion 23 formed for resting upon the oor 24, so as to support the lever means for rocking motion by the foot 26 of the operator.

Preferably, the lever is bent as at 27 so that, when the rear end 28 approaches the floor, the forward end 29 will be high enough to support the appliance 14 with its legs 16 oi of the floor.

As an important feature of this invention, the lever means 13 is supported on the frame 11 by a resilient means 30 which yieldably supports the lever means in a manner allowing vertical and horizontal relative motion between the lever means and the rest of the handtruck.

This permits the lever means 13 to remain stationary on the door, supporting the appliance 14, while the handtruck is wheeled forwardly so as to slide the supporting lift 12 under the legs of the appliance.

The resilient supporting means here includes a pair of coiled springs 31 and 32 connected to the lever means and to one of the frame cross-members 18 above the lever means.

The springs 31 and 32 are under tension and tend to pull the lever means upwardly. To limit the upward movement of the lever means, a block 33 is mounted on the upper face of the lever means in a position to hook under the handtruck axle 19.

As may be seen from FIGURE 3 of the drawings, release of any foot pressure on the lever means 13 will let the springs 31 and 32 pull the block 33 up against the axle 19, urging the forward end 29 of the lever down against the supporting lift 12. In this position the fulcrum block 23 will be elevated out of contact with the door 24.

Preferably, and as here shown, the lever means 13 is provided with a hinge 34, so that the rear end 28 of the lever may be swung up to the position shown in FIGURE 2, that is, within the confines of the frame 11. Torsion springs 36 and 37 may be provided on the hinge for urging the lever end 28 to the position shown in FIGURE 2.

Stop means is provided for limiting the movement of lever end 28 about hinge 34. Suitable structure for this purpose is shown in detail in FIGURE 6 wherein the abutting ends 39 of the lever sections 28 and 29 prevent movement past the open position shown in phantom lines. A scr-ew 318, secured to the hinge section on lever end 29, stops upward movement of lever end 28 when it is within the frame 11.

In operation:

The operator wheels the handtruck up to the appliance lto be transported and rests the lift 12 on the floor in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2. With his foot 26, he then pulls the lever end 28 down to the position shown in FIGURE 3.

The forward end 29 of the lever extends forwardly of lift 12 and is placed under the raised center or overhanging portion normally found on all appliances.

Continued downward pressure on lever end 28, while end 29 is engaged under the appliance, will swing the lever means downwardly until `the fulcrum block 23 rests upon the oor 24.

Further downward pressure on lever end 28 will ythen rook the lever means about the fulcrurn causing the lever end 29 to raise the near side of the appliance, see FIG- URE 4, until the legs 16 of the appliance clear the Hoor. In this position the axle 19 clears the block 33.

With the appliance 14 held in the tilted position, the handtruck may he wheeled forwardly to place the lift 12 under the legs 16 of the appliance. The foot pressure on lever end 28 is then released slowly to allow the appliance legs to come down on the lift 12.

The handtruck is thereafter used in the conventional manner, it being noted that the springs 31 and 32 and the torsion springs 36 and 37 will automatically return the lever means to the position shown in FIGURE 2.

Should the block 33 not engage under the axle i9, downward pressure on the lever means will cause it to move downwardly and snap under the axle. To facilitate this, the forward end of the block 33 is inclined in the manner shown in the drawing.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I -have provided a handtruck having a novel appliance tilting attachment which is entirely foot-operated and which will automatically fold itself up out of the way when not in use.

The novel suspension of the lifting attachment on the springs 31 and 32 allows of relative movement between the handtruck and the lifting attachment, so that the handtruck may be moved into position under the tilted appliance while the tilting device remains stationary upon the floor.

I claim:

l. A handtruck, comprising a wheeled frame having a forwardly extending object supporting element, a lever having a forwardly extending end adapted for engagement under an object to be Vtransported and a rearwardly extending opposite end, a depending fulcrum on said lever between said ends, and resilient means yieldably supporting said lever on said frame whereby downward pressure on the rearwardly extending end of said lever wiil lower said fulcrum to the oor and cause said downwardly extending end to lift the object to be transported, said resilient means being formed to permit said object supporting element to move under the lifted object while said lever remains stationary on the floor, the resilient means including a pair of coiled springs connected to said lever and to said frame at a position above the lever, and a protuberance on said lever adapted to engage a portion of said frame and releasably secure the lever thereat with `the springs under tension.

2. In combination, a handtruck having a wheel-supported axle, a frame pivoted to the axle and a lip proiccting forward from the frame, a lever having an upper contour forming a seat adapted for seating against the axle from below, spring means urging Ithe seat upon the axle, a lever having a forward end projecting over the lip and a rearward end projecting rearwardly of the axle, and the lever having a fulcrum block suspended therefrom, the spring means serving to normally lift the fulcrum from a supporting door, but being made to yield to downward pressure exerted on the rear end of the lever against a lifting effort of the front end of the lever to cause the fulcrum block to descend upon the floor and to become the fulcrum for an increased lifting effort.

3. A combination as defined in claim 2 in which the lowering of the lever causes the seat to clear the axle so as to allow the latter to advance past the seat.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

